Hand-eye trainer

ABSTRACT

A ball connected to an elastic string is suspended at adjustable elevations relative to the ground for free swinging movement toward and away from a user for hand- and eye-coordination training.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention generally relates to a training device fortraining a user's eyes to coordinate with the user's hands.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] It is known to connect a tethered ball to a paddle held in auser's hand for repeated paddling. It is also known to tether a ball toa batting or golf tee mounted on or staked to the ground to more readilyretrieve the ball after being struck. As advantageous as these tetheredball devices are in their play value, a need exists for more realistictraining of hand-eye coordination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0005] One object of this invention is to train hand- andeye-coordination for a user.

[0006] Another object of this invention is to provide an activity richin play value.

FEATURES OF THE INVENTION

[0007] In keeping with these objects and others which will becomeapparent hereinafter, one feature of this invention resides, brieflystated, in a ball connected to a lower end region of a string. An upperregion of the string above the lower end region is connected to anoverhead support. The ball is suspended at adjustable elevationsrelative to the ground to enable free swinging ball movement toward andaway from a user.

[0008] In use, the user pushes the ball away and strikes or catches theball on its return. By making the string elastic, an element ofunpredictability is imparted to the ball trajectory. Rather than usingone's hand, a bat or a paddle or a racket can be used to strike theball. Repeated catching or striking the ball trains the user's eyes tocoordinate with the user's hands and also provides exceptionable playvalue and entertainment reward.

[0009] The novel features which are considered as characteristic of theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of a hand-eyetrainer in accordance with this invention; and

[0011]FIG. 2 is a broken-away view of another embodiment of the trainer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 10 generallyidentifies a ball, preferably a foam ball or a hollow rubber or plasticshell having openings 12 therethrough. A lower end region 14 of a string16, preferably an elastic string, is connected to the ball. For example,the lower end region 14 is initially pushed through a hole in the ballwith the aid of a pointed tool, and thereupon through one of theopenings 12. A knot 18 is formed in the accessible lower end region, andthen the tool is withdrawn. The string is pulled taut to position theknot against the inside surface of the ball adjacent the hole. The knot18 being larger in effective cross-section than the hole fixes the ballin place at the lower end region. Alternately, the string can be pushedentirely through the ball and knotted outside the ball.

[0013] An overhead support 20, for example, a hook, is secured above auser. In a preferred embodiment, the hook has a threaded portion 22 forbeing threaded into a ceiling 24, or into an overhead beam in a patioarea, or into a tree branch. To avoid the formation of threaded holes,another preferred embodiment uses hook- and loop-detachable fasteners,or a suction cup 26 instead of a threaded portion. The suction cup cannon-destructively be secured to a ceiling, overhead beam, air duct,ceiling fan housing, light fixture 28 and just about any like overheadstructure.

[0014] An upper region 30 of the string is secured to the support 20.The ball is suspended from the support by the string above the floor orground for free swinging movement toward and away from the user. Theelevation of the ball relative to the floor or ground is adjusted byselecting the exact location of the upper region of the string to secureto the support, typically by knotting the selected region of the stringat knot 32 to the support.

[0015] Once the ball elevation is set, the user typically uses his/herhand to push the ball away and to strike or catch the ball on itsreturn. The trajectory of the ball has full freedom of movement in alldirections. The elasticity of the string causes it to stretch andcontract unexpectedly. The user could also use a bat or a paddle or aracket to repeatedly strike the ball. The repeated catching and strikingof the ball trains the hands and eyes of the user and is a fun-filledactivity.

[0016] It will be understood that each of the elements described above,or two or more together, also may find a useful application in othertypes of constructions differing from the types described above.

[0017] While the invention has been illustrated and described asembodied in a hand-eye trainer, it is not intended to be limited to thedetails shown, since various modifications and structural changes may bemade without departing in any way from the spirit of the presentinvention.

[0018] Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal thegist of the present invention that others can, by applying currentknowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omittingfeatures that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constituteessential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of thisinvention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims.
 1. A hand-eye trainer, comprising: a)a ball; b) a string having a lower end region connected to the ball; andc) an overhead support connected to an upper region of the string abovethe lower end region, and operative for suspending the ball atadjustable elevations to enable free swinging movement of the balltoward and away from a user.
 2. The trainer of claim 1, wherein the ballis a hollow ball.
 3. The trainer of claim 1, wherein the string is anelastic string.
 4. The trainer of claim 1, wherein the support is ahook.
 5. The trainer of claim 1, wherein support is a suction cup. 6.The trainer of claim 1, wherein the lower end region of the string isknotted within the ball.
 7. The trainer of claim 1, wherein the upperregion of the string is knotted to the support.